


Waypoint

by lavellantrash



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Body Horror, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, benrey appreciating the heck outta gordon's freckles, face touching, just benrey being the lil gremlin he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26448487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavellantrash/pseuds/lavellantrash
Summary: Benrey's never really understood why humans have freckles and takes a shot in the dark with this one. A whole mess of cuteness ensues.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 30
Kudos: 430





	Waypoint

“What the FUCK is up, Feetman!” 

It nearly made Gordon jump off the couch in hearing Benrey kick open the door while saying that.  _ Jesus _ , he thought,  _ you’re only 27, your heart’s not  _ that  _ weak, yet.  _ Well, considering all the events at Black Mesa, he supposed he should make a doctor’s appointment sooner or later so he doesn’t suddenly keel over from a heart attack. He’s still not used to his roommate’s sudden outbursts.

Oh, and another thing he’s still not used to, that he and Benrey are  _ roommates. _ Whatever god- or possibly even Tommy’s father (the man brought his hand back out of nowhere, who knows what else the ominous entity was capable of), played with his fate decided this transition from coworkers to enemies to roommates, and dare he say it- friends, even.

“Yo I got that Gatorade flavor you said you wanted. Made sure it was filled to the brim with those electric lights your nerd ass kept talking about.”

Gordon snorted, pausing his session of Fallout 4 to look back at him from the couch. “Dude it’s called  _ electrolytes _ , and you got blue right?”

“You fuckin’ know it,” Benrey said with a toothy smirk, already plopping himself on the couch with the bottles of blue Gatorade between them. Gordon took one of the bottles out of the plastic bag, wiping the condensation coming off with the sleeve of his cardigan.

Now that he thought about it, he remembered that this was the very first thing the two were able to bond over as roommates. It’s been a few months since the Resonance Cascade, maybe almost half a year he supposed. Time was a fickle thing after that week in hell he spent with the Science Team, and the days afterward seem to blend with one another.

But that fateful day, oh he  _ swears _ whoever was playing god wanted to make that moment as cliché as possible, Gordon was coming home from a late night at work when he spotted a figure laying on the bench outside his apartment. And it was raining. Of course, it was raining. And just when he thought it couldn’t get sappier, Benrey had met his gaze, and something old and long-forgotten stirred in his heart. 

He was feeling  _ sympathy.  _ For  _ Benrey,  _ of all people. 

Ok and maybe some concern was mixed in that hodgepodge of emotions as well. He didn’t want his neighbors to freak out if Benrey happened to eat one of their cats. God forbid he couldn’t bear the burden of having to tell the sweet old lady who lives down the hall about one of her cats becoming a late-night snack.

But despite his racing mind already listing all the reasons why he should  _ not  _ take the eldritch horror in, and his racing heart wanting to kick his ass into a fight-or-flight response, he still disobeyed both instincts. 

_ Always the rebel, eh Freeman?  _ His coworker Barney always used to say, whether it was sending in a report an hour late or completely disregarding the business dress code because  _ Pokémon socks fucking rock. _

So yeah, here he was, chilling with a guy who once tried to kill him and is currently rating different flavored drinks based on what their color tastes like to him.

“The yellow one has too much yellow if you ask me, and it doesn’t even have those crunchy bits like Sprite does. Sprite’s alright, not in my Top Ten Moments but it’s wayyy better than that piss colored Gatorade.” Benrey seemed to shiver in distaste, truly in the zone of criticizing the sports drink. Gordon used to zone out Benrey’s rants about what he considered “gamer fuel”, but for some reason when he brought up Gatorade it piqued the scientist’s interest. 

So now on occasion, Benrey would pick up the drink for him. Gordon was down for anything but grape (he never settled for grape-anything, really) and Benrey would sometimes get one for himself (he always chose blue). 

“When you say “crunchy bits”, I don’t know if you mean the carbonation of the soda, or eating the can itself,” said Gordon, setting his drink down to resume playing his game. He was determined to kill this mercenary who took his character’s son (yes, he named him Joshua, no he was not calling him “Stinky Feetbaby”, a name from one of Benrey’s list of suggestions). 

Benrey shrugged as an answer, which could have meant a yes to either option. He opted to put all the drinks he bought on the coffee table so he could stretch out his legs. There was something he mumbled about “using up too much stamina points” from walking all the way to the convenience store and back, but Gordon barely registered it when he felt a weight press against his side.

Oh, when he thought Benrey was going to lie down he would have done so on the complete  _ opposite _ side of the couch. The space that was usually designated for him. There was enough space, Gordon was sure of it. 

The last time Benrey tried laying on the couch (and this was entirely on Gordon for taking up the middle) he promptly placed his legs across the man’s lap and started snickering, saying how Gordon was getting some “feet on Feetman action”.It was barely a second after that comment that had Benrey, who was cackling at that point, completely shoved off the couch and onto the floor.

Now, whatever the hell Benrey was trying to do, he seemed to have a completely different motive. 

Gordon sat stock-still, and he thought Benrey took notice as he could feel him tense up, but when he relaxed his posture it seemed Benrey mimicked him in response, letting out a small sigh as his head was an inch away from resting on the scientist’s shoulder.

Huh.

He didn’t dare look the creature in the eye, lest he wanted to be mere inches from the other’s face at this point. Any normal human would probably have addressed the situation a while ago, but Gordon was far from having a normal life at this point. 

Gordon had already traversed an entire abandoned facility in his game without making so much of a comment about the other being this close, and he certainly did  _ not  _ want to address the warm feeling stirring in his chest. Nope, would rather shoot down an entire pack of feral ghouls with one hand before facing his emotions.

But every so often, he could feel Benrey’s gaze on him, just by the tilt of the creature’s head. The beanie he lent him from his college days seemed to always be on top of Benrey’s head now instead of his helmet, and he silently thanked himself for having the soft texture brush against his neck, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Wait, wait wait. Gotta take several steps back on  _ that  _ thought because once that trickle of warmth tugged at him, it seemed like a whole dam wanted to make itself known in his thought-jumbled mind.

Somehow, he was still scoring headshots on all the enemies on the tv screen, Benrey making the occasional comment on how a raider got “wasted”, but his thoughts were somewhere else entirely.  _ Ok, Freeman _ , he thought to himself,  _ you’ve had these kinds of emotional dilemmas before _ ,  _ what makes this so different? _

Well, for starters, he was pretty sure the person currently lying against him had tried to kill him 80% of the time back at his job, the remaining percentage used for trying to own Gordon with gamer slang. But hey, that was the past! People change, the rational part of his mind kept trying to tell him, whereas the rest of his mind was also struggling with the fact that  _ holy fucking shit you’ve got feelings for this monster. _

It wasn’t his fault that he admired Benrey’s smile and laughter as it grew more and more genuine by the day, the glint in his eyes growing just a bit brighter whenever Gordon took him to various trips across the parks in town. 

Or when he took Benrey out shopping, seeing the shorter man fall in love with a Playstation hoodie that was nothing but perfect for the gamer gremlin that was his roommate. Whenever he put on the piece of clothing, he would always wrap his arms around himself as if saying “ _ this is mine, I’ll cherish it forever”.  _

Or when Benrey would stay up with Gordon through rough nights when the nightmares only followed him into attempts at sleeping. He realized a while back when they were still in Black Mesa that Benrey never needed sleep. So when Gordon had a restless night, he’d take one of the blankets off the couch and sit at his apartment’s balcony. And Benrey would be right there with him, silent but comforting in his presence, perched on the railing like a vigilant guardian. 

Gordon’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Benrey yawning and this time he turned to look down at a row of sharp teeth glinting under the living room lights. It should’ve creeped him out, but he was too focused on the soft look in Benrey’s eyes, half-lidded with a small prickle of tears in the corners.

“Aww, baby Benrey ready for a nap?”

“Huh?” Confusion replaced Benrey’s tired features, and he proceeded to scrub his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. “M’not baby...I know what I’m about. Nerd over here thinks he can show up to my house, bring all his sports bro drink in here saying it’s better than that good gamer fuel, gross.”

“Uh, ok first off- it’s  _ my  _ apartment as far as the name is on the lease goes, and second it’s not that bad! I know you’ve been stashing more under your bed since the last time we-”

“Dude, what’s up with your face?” Benrey interrupted him, slightly pissing off Gordon despite the conversation being about a drink he is certainly not that passionate about but would gladly try to win against Benrey within what was probably the most stupid debate. 

“My face? Look if this is you trying to bring on some lame joke, I’m kind of tired of the same ones.” Gordon scowled, giving an obvious look that he’s not in the mood for something that might make him feel self-conscious later, but Benrey appeared to dismiss the words as he had a serious look about his features.

It was almost like he was concentrating, trying to find the right words to piece whatever he was seeing in Gordon’s slightly annoyed face before reaching up.

Gordon flinched, and Benrey looked downright  _ hurt _ when he did that, and he quickly gave an apology. 

“Not gonna hurt ya, not anymore. Crossed my heart and all that a long while ago. Can’t go back on promises like that.” Benrey’s voice had reached a softness Gordon never had the likes of ever hearing before, and that same warm feeling grew a bit stronger in his chest.

Benrey continued to gently prod his thumb by his temples, then lightly swiped it across Gordon’s cheek, just below his eyes. It would probably smudge up his glasses but Gordon didn’t care at that moment, too entranced by whatever ritual Benrey was doing with examining his face. There was a moment where he kept pressing down gently along his cheekbones, then over his nose, his brows furrowed in concentration. He even had his tongue sticking out a bit to complete the behavior, the little blue sliver just peeking over his lips.

Finally, he seemed to break out of the trance as he leaned back, looking up at Gordon with a raised brow. “Don’t get it, you’ve got so many waypoints but none of ‘em are telling me what the objectives are.”

“Waypoints?”

“Yeah, y’know those lil’ markers you get when you start a new quest? Tells you where to go. Uh, basic tutorial stuff here, don’t know why I gotta explain it to a nerd like you. Got ‘em all over that cute face o’ yours.”

Now Gordon was the one to make a face as he grew confused until it fucking dawned on him and he realized Benrey was talking about his damn  _ freckles _ . His roommate thought his freckles were quest markers. It made him break out into a fit of laughter, which happened to startle Benrey this time as a few more eyes appeared across his face, backing up as his arms were raised in a panic.

It was so like his roommate to think of something that far along in the lines of video game culture, and he would have been fascinated at his “big-braining” tactics were it not for a thought stopping him in his tracks.

Did...Benrey just call him cute? 

Gordon must have looked like the equivalent of a Windows 98 blue-screening since Benrey leaned in again, the additional eyes slowly retreating back into his body as he tilted his head. “Uhh, earth to Gordo? You still in there, friend?”

“You called me cute.”

“Nope. False. Uhh..try again later.”

_ Oh hell no, _ Gordon does  _ not  _ have time to play these games when he’s gotten this far into digging into the lore that was Benrey’s emotions. If he’s been piecing things together right, then he may just be able to confirm something that’s been wracking his brain on for the longest time. Were it not for the other being his roommate and basically constantly at his side, he’d probably have an entire evidence board set up, just like they do in those crime shows.

The only difference between the two boards was that this one would have all traced back to Benrey actually  _ liking him.  _ None of that gamer-pal nonsense the other would try to pull whenever Gordon was close to seeing through his facades. 

So he urged him on again.

“Yes you did, and I want you to say it again.”

“Nuh uh, nope I did not- wait...you wanna do a rerun of that last bit?” Benrey asked with an honest confusion of a man who looked as if he didn’t just hear something so incredulous come out of the other’s mouth just then. Gordon gave a small smirk, knowing he’s got him now. But then Benrey gave a “tsk” sound, crossing his shoulders and backing off, huddling further into him. “As if, Feetman just wants to capture my cringe on tape...probably sell it off to America’s Cringiest Home Videos.” 

Gordon sighed, and Benrey looked back at him with his usual bored stare. Whatever the scientist was thinking then, it appeared as if he was trying to weigh his options on deciding what to do next. Of course, this guy wanted to cash in on the person who made a fool of himself trying to impress the one he loved. What a sad sap story he could make out of this monster, Benrey thought bitterly. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried getting close this soon, or at all if he really thought about it.

Those dark thoughts that were only eager to grow more dreadful in his mind made him bite the corner of his lip, a sharp canine threatening to pierce skin until all the pressure vanished from a hand resting itself at the side of his face. 

Benrey didn’t realize how quiet it had gotten until he heard his own breath hitch, and when he exhaled a few loose orbs of green escape his mouth. 

“Hey, Ben, look at me.” The voice was gentle, absent of any mockery Benrey was expecting and ready to take.

It was Gordon’s touch that pulled him back to reality, and it was Gordon’s voice which grounded him firmly back to where he would rather much be. Here. With the person he cared oh so deeply for and he looked back up and  _ fuck _ did Gordon look so beautiful at that moment.

His mess of brown curls was pulled haphazardly into a messy bun, the work done by a man who had much more important things to do with his time than fiddle with his unruly hair. Some strands rebelled against their hold and framed Gordon’s face, which was littered with those freckles he had grown attached to that dusted across his cheeks and nose. Benrey admired every single mark, branding them into his memory as it always led him back to that same safe haven. 

Gordon’s facial expression was one that held what he could only describe as humble, welcoming even. An outsider could describe it as a look one would give to coax a frightened animal, wanting nothing more than to draw it out of its shelter.

But to Benrey, he understood it as one saying “ _ I know damn well what it’s like to be afraid, and I’m staying right here with you in whatever you consider being your shelter, leaky roof and all.”  _

“I’m sorry if you waited this long, I should have asked sooner.” Gordon looked a bit embarrassed now, but he never retracted that hand and worked his thumb in circles when he moved it to the back base of Benrey’s neck, just where tufts of black hair peeked out of the beanie. 

Benrey wanted to shiver from the contact but just shook his head instead. “Nah, s’all good. Won’t say it again if it’s not a thing you wanna hear.”

“What? No...I think I like it. And you. Like- a  _ lot  _ actually? I- it’s been like that for a while man I’m just shit at facing my feelings I guess? But I guess it’s confession time so- yeah...I like you Benrey. _ ” _ Gordon admitted weakly with a bit of a groan, knowing he could have worded that way better. God, why was this so hard? He wasn’t like this to any of his previous partners, but he guessed what he had for them never clicked as easily as how he felt for the person sitting across from him now.

It didn’t seem to bother Benrey one bit, and he didn’t even make a comment as he gaped at Gordon with wide eyes, and he had no idea his blush would be blue once he saw a darker shade of the color spread further across the other’s face. 

Gordon’s anxiety was rising now as uncertainty from the silence worried him and his leg was doing that jumpy thing. Dammit. Should he say something else? Did he embarrass his roommate with what was probably the lamest confession of the year? Was he somehow going to get an award for said lame confession? He could already picture it now, some professional looking individual finding him and handing him a plaque that said it all. It would say how he single-handedly managed to break a person from how weird he turned a conversation. 

The hand he used to massage Benrey’s neck pulled back but his wrist was caught by Benrey’s own hand. Benrey’s mouth opened and Gordon could only stare at him in surprise.

“Wanna smooch? Like, right now? It can be jus’ a lil’ one, don’t gotta make it too gay, unless you want? We can make it big gay. As a treat.” Benrey asked, placing both their hands down on Gordon’s antsy leg, making it stop completely. 

Gordon could only nod dumbly, and Benrey didn’t take another moment to get a confirmation as he leaned in and pressed their lips together. When Gordon had his wits about him again he pressed against the other, eyes falling shut as he wanted to take in every ounce of the feeling of having surprisingly soft lips against his own. There was something wet trailing at the corner of his mouth and he realized some of Benrey’s sweet voice was leaking through, lining their mouths and filling his senses with a sweet sensation. It reminded him of peaches.

Eventually, Gordon pulled back for air, knowing now that Benrey could have gone for who knows how long and...well, he certainly  _ would _ like to continue. His heartstrings tugged at him and he wanted to look at Benrey now though, and he noticed multiple eyes all looking back at him, some gleaming across his roommate’s face while the others showed up in random places like his arms and neck. 

They were all practically glowing, both figuratively and quite literally, in fact!

“How was that?” Gordon asked despite knowing well what the answer may be from the look the other had. He certainly felt fantastic, not a single bout of anxiety or tension in his body, a lopsided grin forming as his arms were comfortably placed at Benrey’s sides.

Benrey could only bury his face in his roommate’s shoulder, mumbling a bunch of compliments and niceties like “epic kiss bro, full homo, nice lips, ten outta ten would smooch again” all the while releasing a myriad of warm colors, mainly pinks (which he would later tell Gordon that shades of a blooming rose meant “you were always the one I chose”).

There was something else Benrey mumbled that Gordon couldn’t hear, and he gently nudged him back so he could look at him. “Wanna run that by me again?”

“I wanna...maybe check on those quest markers ya got again. Need a closer look to make sure there’s no timed events, yeah? Real important business.” Benrey asked shyly, all his eyes looking anywhere that wasn’t in Gordon’s direction. There was still a grin daring to show itself on his face, a few sharp teeth making themselves known.

Gordon gave a huff of laughter, soft and full of mirth and he went to place a kiss on Benrey’s forehead, just next to an eye that looked at him curiously. “Of course. I gotta make sure I don’t miss anything good.” He played along with Benrey’s little game, knowing he would certainly get something much more satisfying than experience points. 

This time, when Benrey ran his fingers across Gordon’s freckles, he followed each swipe of his thumb with a light kiss, smattering him in smooches across every spot he caught. Gordon’s face must have been redder than a tomato by now, not being used to this much attention had made his entire being warm with delight. 

“Gonna make sure to mark every waypoint,” Benrey muttered in-between and was basically sitting in Gordon’s lap at this point with how perfectly snug he fit between his roommate’s arms.

They would be there like that for a while if Benrey intended to keep that promise (and he most certainly fucking did), but both were completely content.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I've never written anything for this fandom before but I love these two a whole lot. Send me some prompts on my blog lavellantrash if you're interested in me writing more about these cute dorks.


End file.
